With this new website, we want to encourage the cultivation and propagation of cycads, to promote all aspects of cycad conservation and to disseminate information. We count on the support of cycad specialists and photographers from several European countries. This website is still under construction.

Exotic species growing has a long tradition in this country. The oldest plants in our collections come from the original university or aristocratic collections several hundred years old. The first botanical gardens were created in middle ages while the university garden opened in 1775 in Prague replacing the former Jesuit gardens . Many plants were named after Czech botanists or collectors, even though only one cycad, Zamia roezlii, bears the name of a Czech. Benedikt Roezl (1823-1885) was a prodigious orchid collector and founder of one of the Czech botanical magazines Flora in 1880. He also collected the plant of Zamia lindenii from which the species was described.

Did You Know That?

1. •The 300-400 hundred years old Encephalartos altensteinii tree in Lednice is the oldest Czech cycad?
   

2. •Cycas circinalis in Prague is thought to be around 200 years old? It comes from the original university collection from the XVIII century. It is 5.25m tall and is probably the only or one of few true old Cycas circinalis trees in Europe.
   

3. •The large Microcycas calocoma in Liberec Botanical Garden just coned? Visit our Liberec Photogallery
   

4. •All Czech botanical gardens grow cycads and there are also many private collectors
   

5. •Most of Czech botanical gardens have build new or reconstructed old greenhouses in recent years, increasing substantially the quality of conditions where cycads are grown in this country?
   

Czech Cycads, Are There Any?

Yes there are, some millions years old. Cycads used to grow on the territory of this country. Microzamia gibba, Jirusia jirusii, Pseudoctenis babinensis, Nilsonia holyi and Nilsonia bohemica are among the described Czech fossils. Some of them are exhibited in the National Museum or Liberec Botanical Garden. Some more information can be found in Czech here (under construction).

Public, University and Private Collections

The general public interest in exotic plants peaked during the period of communism. As not many people could travel, exotic species became a substitute for the prohibited trips abroad, a welcomed leisure and later a profession for many. Since than, almost every small town in this country has several small private greenhouses and vast collections of tropical plants, especially cacti and succulents. There are also large tropical plants fairs and exhibitions and the Czech and Slovak Cacti and Succulents Growers Society provides a platform for more than 100 clubs and local organisations, there are also private collectors of cycads, epiphytes, carnivorous plants and many other groups. The Union of Botanical Gardens of the Czech Republic has 28 members, mostly city and university botanical gardens (and not all of them are members). Due to the past connection with the communist world, some of the Czech collections sometimes contain more than the usual number of species from countries like Cuba.

This recent history is the cause of yet another Czech specialty. The country is now also the biggest exporter of tropical fish on the world and actually exports more than a majority of tropical countries. The only similar example could be the Netherlands and its tropical plants exports.

European Collections and more ...

We are gradually mapping the European collection of cycads. Until now, we have done the following.

Cycads in Europe and elsewhere

1. 1.Czech Republic (CZ) - some of the text can be also found on this homepage in English (EN)
   

2. 2.Cuba (EN) - interesting distinction on Zamia stricta and angustifolia species from Cuba
   

3. 3.Belgium (CZ) - This article adds information to the text published in Whitelock on Encephalartos laurentianus, the species described from the plants from the Belgian Congo, still in collection in Meise
   

4. 4.Netherlands (EN) with its old Encephalartos collection
   

5. 5.Denmark (EN) - probably the oldest Zamia lindenii in Europe
   

6. 6.Poland (EN) with some historical plants from the original Warszewicz garden in Krakow.
   

7. 7.Slovakia (EN)
   

We are using the names of the species as described by the gardens, even though sometimes a re-evaluation of the description might be needed.